Media365
For companies expanding beyond their home markets, growth across Asia rarely follows a straight line. Regulations vary, supply chains stretch across borders and capital needs evolve with shifting currencies.
Hong Kong plays a critical role in simplifying this journey. Its connectivity to mainland China and its role as an international financial and trading centre make the city a natural command point for regional expansion.
This is the space in which UOB Hong Kong operates. As the bank enters its seventh decade in the city, it is sharpening its focus on helping companies and entrepreneurs navigate expansion between the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), using Hong Kong as a strategic base for decision-making, execution and long-term partnerships.
That commitment was underscored in 2025, when the bank celebrated its 60th anniversary in Hong Kong by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The agreement reflects how the bank sees the city as not just a global financial centre, but also a hub where partnerships, local insights and cross-border capabilities converge to support companies moving between the GBA and Southeast Asia.
“Hong Kong is a superconnector for economic integration,” says Adaline Zheng, CEO of UOB Hong Kong. “This partnership underscores Hong Kong’s strategic position as a gateway between the Greater Bay Area and Asean markets, formalising a dedicated corridor that accelerates trade, investment and cross-border flows through the city.”
That MOU aligns closely with UOB’s “One Bank for Asean” strategy, which ties the bank’s strong foothold across Southeast Asia with its long-standing presence in Hong Kong. By integrating its banking capabilities with HKTDC’s trade promotion expertise, the partnership aims to reduce friction for companies navigating different regulatory, financial and operational environments. Zheng describes it as creating a “very trusted bridge, both from a government perspective and a commercial perspective”.
Much of this work takes place through UOB’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Advisory Unit. Since its establishment in 2011, the unit has drawn on its network of 11 FDI centres to support regional expansion, particularly for Chinese enterprises. By 2025, it had helped 2,400 Chinese companies expand overseas, with more than 90 per cent entering markets across Southeast Asia, according to UOB. The bank also notes that since 2020, the unit has facilitated more than HK$190 billion (US$24.3 billion) in direct investment into Asean, which contributed to the creation of more than 140,000 jobs.
Rather than focusing solely on financing, the FDI Advisory Unit integrates advisory support, sector insights and market-entry guidance to help businesses move decisively from planning to action.
Digital tools have become central to enabling seamless operations across markets. UOB Infinity, the bank’s digital platform for corporate clients, allows businesses to manage cash and trade transactions across multiple markets through a single interface.
“UOB Infinity provides a customisable platform that gives clients one-login access to all their regional activities,” Zheng says. “They can view consolidated balances, transactions and workflows, and clients can initiate and track cross-border payments with full visibility and transparency. Secure, biometric-enabled access also allows approvals any time and anywhere, which is critical for businesses operating across different markets and time zones.”
UOB Hong Kong’s role extends beyond wholesale banking. As entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses expand across borders, business growth and personal wealth planning often become deeply intertwined, bringing private banking into the same cross-border conversation. Experience matters here.
“Over the past six decades in Hong Kong, we’ve supported companies and an entire generation – and sometimes two generations – of entrepreneurs through evolving economic landscapes, from early manufacturing-led trade to today’s digital economy,” Zheng says. “This long-term presence allows us to provide real, actionable guidance and focus on partnership banking rather than transactional relationships, especially as wealth expands across markets.”
Connectivity, however, is not defined by finance alone. UOB Hong Kong has also invested in social sustainability through creative expression, furthering the bank’s status as a patron of the arts in Asia. The UOB Art Academy – established in Hong Kong in 2015 and registered as a charity in 2023 – supports this commitment through initiatives that showcase local artists to audiences across the region, with a particular focus on preserving and reimagining ink art.
“At UOB, art is not just a CSR initiative. We use it as a regional connector,” says Marietta Li, director of the UOB Art Academy and head of strategic communications, brand and customer insights for Hong Kong and Taiwan at UOB. “The UOB Art Academy links Hong Kong artists and audiences with shared cultural values across Asia, while fostering social sustainability through cultural exchange.”
Through programmes such as the UOB Art in Ink Awards, the UOB Art in Ink Festival, workshops and regional exchange initiatives, the UOB Art Academy aims to nurture the next generation of artistic talent while reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a regional cultural meeting point. Taken alongside the bank’s business and wealth initiatives, these efforts reflect a broader understanding of UOB Hong Kong’s role in supporting the city’s development: bringing together capital, capability and community as Hong Kong continues to evolve as both a financial centre and a cultural hub.
